Jain Legend Vol 3

Author(s): Hastimal Maharaj, Shuganchand Jain, P S Surana
Publisher: Hastimal Maharaj Shugan C Jain P S Surana

Page 92

Observing verbatim the old saying 'sahano v rya karayvahai' both these authors jointly composed 'Pamcakalpa bh ya'
Author Samanta Bhadra of the period prior to H rila
In Digambara congregation, a great influential Jain c rya by the name of Samanta Bhadra existed. He was a great and undefeatable poet, logician, scholar of highest attainments of his time. The trio of Jain monks, Dar anavijaya, J navijaya and Ny yavijaya in their historical text “Jain Parampar o Itih sa' have written of crya Samanta Bhadra as belonging to the forest dweller tradition of both Digambaras and
vet mbaras Jain congregations. He belongs to the 7th century V.N. and is venerated by both Digambara and vet mbara traditions equally.
Life sketch of c rya Samanta Bhadra as given by scholars of history of Digambara tradition is as follows.
A speaker and knower of scriptures of highest order, poet and logician,
c rya Samanta Bhadra was a k atriya prince of the ruler of Uragapura in Kavi Mamdala of southern India. His birth name was mti Varm. He developed detachment from the worldly pleasures and renouncing all worldly comforts and facilities available in plenty as poisonous he got initiated as a Jain monk. He was continuously occupied in the practice and observance of right Jain code of conduct of monks. He used to accept food only to maintain a healthy body so that he could practice self restraint and undertake foot walks to take the divine and beneficial message for all of Lord Jinas to all corners of the country and for the benefit of all living and human beings. He never accepted alms for the sake of taste or beneficiation of the body. c rya Samanta Bhadra was an exemplary monk.
Due to the rise of some prior inauspicious karma, he was inflicted with the disease of never ending hunger. His disease kept on increasing from the dry and unfriendly food received as alms and assumed dangerous proportions. So, at his own sweet will, he sought permission from his guru to observe path of pious death (sam dhi mara a) by observing fasts. His extremely knowledgeable teacher after contemplating for a while said, “Son! You shall create supreme respect for Jainism. You still have a sufficient life span remaining. To cure this deadly disease, one needs to consume large quantities of rich food. Hence you abdicate the five major
92